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Joseph Abraham, Sr., 55, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection to the murder of his 25-year-old wife, Amanda Trenck in their Van Cortlandt Avenue apartments in Yonkers last May.
Shortly before 9:15 a.m. on May 21, officers from the Yonkers Police Department were dispatched to the apartment, where there was a reported attempted suicide with multiple victims potentially at the scene.
Upon arrival, police officers said that they found Trenck in her bedroom slumped over the bed with multiple stab wounds and a large pool of blood around her.
Abraham was found unconscious in a full bathtub with cuts visible on both of his wrists and the side of his neck.
According to detectives from the Major Case and Crime Scene Units investigated the incident, police determined that Abraham allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times in her body and torso, resulting in her death following a domestic dispute. Trenck was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said that both parties were discovered by family members who lived in the same apartment who proceeded to call 911. They reportedly cooperated with law enforcement authorities and several knives were recovered at the scene.
In part of his statement prior to sentencing, Amanda’s father, Jeffery Trenck, described the violent end of his daughter’s life: “I have read the coroner’s report and the last moments of my daughter’s life were truly horrific, she was attacked while asleep in bed and woke to multiple stabs in the back. She turned over and fought for her life only to continue to receive a vicious attack, broken ribs and several more stabs to the chest and neck and succumbed to these wounds and loss of blood.
"In prison, you can have visitors and make phone calls. I will never again receive a phone call or text message on my birthday, Father’s Day, anniversary or holiday from my daughter. This is not a victory. There will be no celebration. I take no joy in the sentence handed down – I just want what is fair for the suffering that Amanda’s family and friends have to endure for the remainder of their lives with her loss.”
Amanda’s grandmother, Anne Trenck, did not say Abraham’s name. She only referred to him by his inmate number. She said, “I am unable to forgive you.” And told the court, “Please consider the most innocent person of all in these circumstances, Victoria. She must spend the rest of her life learning to deal with the fact that her father murdered her mother.”
Before reading the sentence, Judge Warhit called Abraham a “gutless coward.” Saying a little girl was left with no mother, and told Abraham, “She’ll learn of your behavior going forward. This is all your doing.” With that, he sentenced Abraham to 18-years-to-life, meaning he cannot seek parole until 18 years into his prison term.
Abraham had faced life in prison for the conviction.
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